Linen Treatment Device With Imbalance Monitoring, Level Monitoring, or Load Monitoring

ABSTRACT

An acceleration sensor for a household device which serves for levelling the appliance and also for weighing the material introduced into the appliance, for example on a laundry unit or crockery and furthermore, in particular for a linen treatment device, for monitoring imbalances. The sensor is based on the principle that a temperature profile, generated by a thermal source, for example, an immersion heater, in a sealed chamber which contains a gas, undergoes a displacement as a result of the acceleration, which is measured by temperature sensors arranged on a flat plate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional, under 35 U.S.C. §121, of U.S.application Ser. No. 12/384,363, filed Apr. 3, 2009, now allowed, whichis a divisional, under 35 U.S.C. §121, of U.S. application Ser. No.10/774,978, filed Feb. 9, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,881, which is acontinuation, under 35 U.S.C. §120, of International Application No.PCT/EP02/08840, filed Aug. 7, 2002, which designated the United States;this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, ofGerman Patent Application No. 10139388.1, filed Aug. 10, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a linen treatment device with an arrangementfor determining the imbalance.

An arrangement for monitoring imbalance in a washing machine is alreadyknown from EP 0 539 617 A1. An electric motor monitored by aspeed-measuring device, for example, by means of a tacho-generator in acontrol device especially a series motor is provided in a washingmachine. An imbalance sensor which records the imbalance is constructedas a microswitch which is connected in series to the speed measuringdevice, for example, a tacho-generator. When an impermissible imbalanceis reached, the imbalance sensor interrupts the connection to the speedmeasuring device and the control device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide a new device for recordingimbalances.

This object is solved according to the invention by the fact that thearrangement has at least one sensor to measure the temperature profileof a heating device built into the sensor, wherein the temperatureprofile can be varied by an acceleration caused by an imbalance.

If the temperature distribution in a medium heated by the heating deviceof the sensor varies as a result of an acceleration caused by animbalance, the temperature distribution thereby varied can be measuredand the intensity of the acceleration can be deduced. The direction ofthe acceleration can also be determined if the temperature distributionin measured in two axes.

Advantageous further developments are obtained from the dependent claimsand the description.

A washing machine design where the sensor is arranged on the soapy watercontainer is especially suitable. It is thereby possible to achieve avery direct determination of imbalances which are exerted on the soapywater container during spin-drying of a laundry unit in the drum.Alternatively, the sensor can be arranged on a lever connected to thesoapy water container, whereby especially tumbling imbalances, i.e.,imbalances in the direction of the axis of rotation of the drum, can beefficiently measured. Such tumbling imbalance cannot be measured bymeans of a tacho-generator. However, it can be determined by means of anarrangement according to the invention and with a correspondingalignment of the sensor element. When the measurement signal issimultaneously fed back into the control loop of the washing machinedrive, the effect of the tumbling imbalance can be compensated by speedramping, i.e., by controlling the motor. The same applies to a washerdrier.

In another advantageous development the sensor is arranged in a damperwhich damps the vibrations of the soapy water container or in a foot ofthe washing machine.

In another embodiment it is advantageous that the sensor is locatedbelow the upper outer surface of the linen treatment device. Themeasuring function of the sensor is thereby made directly accessible tothe user. It is advantageous if the value measured by the sensor isdisplayed on a display device. The magnitude of the imbalance is therebymade recognisable to the user.

Equally the result of a measurement made by the sensor can also bedisplayed for the user by a separate display device.

The sensor for determining imbalance can also be used to subsequentlydetermine the mass of the linen placed in the drum in the rest state ofthe washing machine. In an advantageous embodiment of the washingmachine, a warning device can also be activated by means of the sensorwhich gives a warning signal when the washing machine is overloaded.Thus, the loading, which is conventionally determined, for example, byan inductive distance measurement, can be determined in a new waycompared with the prior art. The loading or the weight or the waterlevel in a washing machine or in a dishwasher can thus be displayed.

The sensor can advantageously also be used to determine the levelling ofany household appliance, especially a washing machine. In the case of awashing machine, the sensor can fulfil a double function: on the onehand, it is used to determine imbalances or the mass of a laundry unitand on the other hand, it is used for levelling the washing machine. Inthis case, the sensor is useful not only when setting up the householdappliance in order to set up the household appliance for the first timeso that it stands horizontally in both directions in the plane but alsolater to check whether the household appliance is standing horizontallyon both directions as before or whether it has sunk in one or bothdirections. If pre-determined, still permissible deviations areexceeded, a warning signal is generated so that the user suitablyre-levels the appliance.

In another advantageous embodiment of the invention the levelling iscarried out by the household appliance itself. For this purposeservomotors are provided, preferably in the area of the appliance feet,or a pneumatic or hydraulic pressure system is provided by which meansthe fluid can be distributed such that the device stands horizontally inboth directions.

If the sensor or a plurality of sensors is accommodated via a leverstructure in a foot of the appliance or in a damper, the weight of thehousehold appliance or the useful load, i.e., the loading in a washingmachine or a washer drier, can be determined. The useful load can bedetermined indirectly by evaluating the acceleration of the sensor.Acceleration sensors are known, for example, from the company Memsic.The measurement is made as follows: the drum is first loaded, then itsinks as a result of the loading. This results in an acceleration at thesensor element. Moreover, the time is measured as the second quantity.The distance covered as a result of the loading with the washing canthus be determined. From a knowledge of the damping of the householdappliance, the force brought about by loading with the linen can then bedetermined using Hook's law so that the imbalance mass can bedetermined.

If necessary, the speed of the washing machine can be reduced and thelaundry unit can be re-aligned by reversing. Speed ramping can also beimplemented to control the motor. A particular problem with measuringimbalance involves determining the so-called tumbling imbalance, i.e.,the imbalance along the axis of the drum and the drive motor. However,this can be determined according to the invention if the sensor elementis suitably selected and aligned. If the measurement signal issimultaneously returned in the control loop of the machine, the tumblingimbalance can be compensated. However, the tumbling can only bedetermined with a biaxial sensor system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in detail hereinafter in exemplaryembodiments with reference to the drawings. In the figures:

FIG. 1 a,b is a cross-section through a sensor according to theinvention,

FIG. 2 shows an arrangement equipped with the sensor from FIG. 1 a, bfor levelling a household appliance,

FIG. 3 shows an arrangement for determining the imbalance of a drum andthe loading and the level of a washing machine,

FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram for the measuring arrangementfrom FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a baking oven with sensors according to the invention and

FIG. 6 is a spray arm of a dishwasher with a sensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In a cell enclosed by a wall 1 which serves as pressure encapsulation(FIG. 1 a, b), a circular plate 4 which serves as a temperature sensoris arranged on a substrate 2, which preferably consists of silicon,above a circular hole 3. In its central area the plate 4 is penetratedby a rod 5 which heats up, so that a thermal profile builds up above therod 5 in a space 6 which has a decreasing temperature T with increasingdistance from the rod 5. Above the rod 5 forms a substantially sphericalor conical area 7 of especially strongly heated gas. Starting from acentral point O, the temperature T inside the space 6 is plotted as afunction of the distance from the rod 5 in FIG. 1 b. The temperature Tdecreases substantially proportionately with increasing distance fromthe rod 5.

If a force now acts on the sensor, the gas molecules or gas atoms in thespace 6 above the rod 5 are accelerated towards said rod and the plate 4so that the position of the thermal profile with respect to the originalposition changes. Since sensors for the temperature measurement arebuilt in the plate 4 preferably in pixel fashion, this positional changecan be measured as a change in temperature in one of the two directionsX and Y extending through the plane of the plate 4. In this case, notonly the positional change of the profile itself can be measured butalso its time profile since the sensors inside the plate 4 determinewhen the profile has changed.

In the same way, a thermal profile 7 not completely symmetrical withrespect to the rod 5 builds up if the rod 5 is not arranged completelyvertically. This can be used to adjust the levelling of a householdappliance. In this case, either a plurality of sensors are present inthe fashion shown in FIG. 1 a or there is only one sensor in one of thecorners of the household appliance on its upper surface, i.e., theworking surface.

The deviation of the household appliance from the horizontal is shown ina display 8 (FIG. 2) where a centering cross 9 indicates when theposition of the household appliance is completely leveled. In this case,a variable circular display 10 must cover the centre point of the cross9 with its centre point. As long as this is not yet the case, the feetof the household appliance must be adjusted in height, as shown in FIG.2, for which the user receives instruction from the information on thedisplay. The feet which need to be adjusted are shown by the displays11, 12, 13. It is also indicated whether the foot needs to be turnedupwards, as is the case with displays 11, 12 according to which the feetneed to be turned upwards by respectively 120° or whether the foot needsto be turned downwards, which is the case with display 13, according towhich the foot needs to be turned downwards by 270° s

In this way any household appliance, especially a linen treatment devicesuch as a washing machine or a washer drier can be leveled. Thelevelling information can also be evaluated by the appliance controlsystem. During the initial setting up of the household appliance at alocation the at least one sensor or the plurality of sensors controlsthe levelling. If this is not correct, the height adjustment of theadjusting feet is automatically varied by means of servomotors or bymeans of a hydraulic or pneumatic system. The levelling information iseither displayed visually, as by the display 8, or it is passed onaudibly to the user by means of a loudspeaker. The household appliancepreferably has an interface for connecting the household appliance tothe internet or online assistance for the adjustment is given to theuser by telephone.

In another exemplary embodiment (FIG. 3) a sensor 14 is arranged below asoapy water container (shown only schematically here). The soapy watercontainer 15 is mounted in a household appliance 20 (not reproduced toscale here) using tension springs 16, 17 and dampers 18, 19. In thiscase, a laundry unit 21 acts with the force of its weight together withthe weight of the soapy water container 15 on the dampers 18, 19.

Instead of the arrangement of the sensor 14 below the soapy watercontainer 21, a sensor 22 can also be provided which is mounted on arail 23 which is connected via a hinge joint 24 to a lever arm 25 of alever 27 which is pivotable about a fulcrum 26. The other lever arm 28of the lever 27 is connected to the soapy water container 15 parallel tothe direction of the axis of rotation of the soapy water container 15. Arotational movement of the lever 27 is converted to a translationalmovement in the direction of a path b via the hinge joint 24. If thesoapy water container 15 is accelerated downwards as a result of animbalance or by the loading with washing having a force F, the force ofits weight, this acceleration is converted via the lever 27 into ahorizontal acceleration a along the path b.

As a result of the relationship between the path b and the accelerationa:

${b = {\frac{1}{2}{a \cdot t^{2}}}},$

where t is the acceleration time and wherein the force of the weight is

F=M·g,

In this case, M is the weight of the total load and g is theacceleration due to gravity. The spring force F exerted by the soapywater container 15 inside the damping system with the tension springs16, 17 and the dampers 18, 19, is given by:

F=D·Δs ₁

where D is the spring constant and Δs₁ is the distance covered by thesoapy water container 15 in the perpendicular direction. The centrifugalforce F_(Z) is given by:

F _(Z) =m·ω ² ·r,

where ω is the angular velocity and m is the difference from theimbalance minus the weight. Taking into account the lever path:

${\frac{\Delta \; s_{1}}{r_{1}} = \frac{\Delta \; s_{2}}{r_{2}}},$

where r₁ and r₂ are the lever paths and Δs₁ and Δs₂ are the paths forthe movement of the soapy water container 15 or the movement of thelever arm 25 in the perpendicular direction, the mass of the washing isobtained as:

${M = \frac{{D \cdot \tan}\; {\phi \cdot a \cdot t^{2} \cdot r_{1}}}{2 \cdot g \cdot r_{2}}},$

In this case, tan φ (see FIG. 4) is given by:

${\tan \; \phi} = \frac{\Delta \; s_{2}}{b}$

From this it follows that the imbalance m of the washing is given by

$m = \left( \frac{\frac{{D \cdot \tan}\; {\phi \cdot a \cdot t^{2}}}{2} - {M \cdot g}}{\omega^{2}r} \right)$

Thus, the sensor 22 is capable of measuring the acceleration values. Theacceleration values can then be used to determine both the mass of thewashing and any imbalance of the drum during operation. Thus, the sensor22 is suitable both for static and for dynamic measurements.

If the wall 1 of the sensor is not a fixed wall but a moveable membrane,the pressure inside the sensor can also be varied by applying a force.The change in pressure then results in a change in temperature which isdetected by the temperature sensors built in the plate 4. From this itis then possible to calculate a force from which the mass either of thelaundry unit or an imbalance can be deduced. Using the temperaturesensors it is furthermore possible to deduce accelerations in the sensorplane and any change in angle, as already shown above with reference tolevelling in connection with FIG. 2. Thus, the quantities weighing,levelling and imbalance monitoring can be determined using a sensor suchas shown in FIG. 1 a. The sensor is either attached to the soapy watercontainer so that it serves for levelling and imbalance monitoring or itis arranged on the frame structure of the household appliance so that,in addition to weighing and monitoring imbalance, it can also be usedfor levelling the household appliance. In this way, the user is assistedin adjusting the household appliance when this is first set up in aposition. Equally the customer is also assisted in loading the householdappliance in that he is notified about the washing already inserted, forexample, via a display or audibly. In the event of overloading, awarning signal is generated so that any damage to the householdappliance caused by the mass of a laundry unit being too high isavoided. Tumbling imbalance, i.e., an imbalance along the drum motoraxis of the washing machine or the washer drier can also be identifiedaccording to the invention so that measures to compensate for thetumbling imbalance can be introduced. In this case, the tumblingimbalance can be compensated by speed ramping using a suitably matchedmotor control system. If an imbalance has been identified, a regulatingmechanism results in countercontrol, for example, by reversing thelaundry unit.

In another exemplary embodiment (FIG. 5), at least one accelerationsensor according to the invention, a sensor 30, preferably a secondsensor 31, is provided, said sensor being affixed below a sheet-metalguide frame 32 of a baking oven 33. As described above, both sensors 30,31 are based on measuring a temperature profile produced by a heatingdevice built into each sensor 30, 31. The sheet-metal guide frame 32receives baking sheets in guide strips 34. The sheet-metal guide frame32 is suspended by means of springs 35 to 38 inside a frame of a bakingoven 33. When the baking oven 33 is loaded, the springs 35 to 38 aredeflected and the sheet-metal guide frame 32 is thus lowered. Thesensors 30, 31 are thereby accelerated in the perpendicular direction.In an alternative embodiment the perpendicular movement of thesheet-metal guide frame 32 is converted into a horizontal movement inorder to accelerate the sensors in the horizontal direction in thisfashion. In this way the loading of the baking oven 33 with baking goodsis measured.

The considerable lack of sensitivity to temperature of the sensors 30,31 should be seen as a particular advantage of this weighing device. Forthe case that, as shown, at least two sensors 30, 31 are provided, whichfor example, viewed in the sliding direction of the baking sheets, havea certain spatial offset to one another, a spatial resolution of theweight loading of the baking sheet can also be determined. The aircirculation during circulating-air operation in the baking oven 33 orthe temperature guidance in the baking oven 33 can then be adaptedaccordingly. The sheet-metal guide frame is easily tiltable withoutjamming. It can be removed for cleaning. The sheet-metal guide frame 32either consists of a wire framework or of a flat enamel frame.

In another exemplary embodiment (FIG. 6 a, b) a sensor 40 according tothe invention is provided in a spray arm 41 of a dishwasher. The sprayarm 41 is mounted on a pivot 42. It turns in the direction of the arrowA to spray washing solution onto the crockery. In this case, the sensor40 experiences a radial acceleration from which the rotation speed andthus the number of revolutions, the spray arm position and also anystopping of the spray arm can be determined. The signal is transmittedeither by radio, by pressure contact or via a sliding contact 43 whichis arranged in the vicinity of the pivot 42 and produces an electricalconnection with an electrical lead in the casing of the dishwasher.

An acceleration sensor is provided for a household appliance 20 which isused both for levelling the household appliance and also for weighing amaterial inserted in the household appliance, for example a laundry unitor crockery and in addition, especially for a linen treatment device,serves to monitor imbalances. The sensor is based on the fact that atemperature profile produced by a thermal source, for example, animmersion heater 5 inside a sealed chamber 6 containing a gas, undergoesa displacement as a result of the acceleration which is measured bymeans of temperature sensors arranged in a flat plate 4.

1. A linen treatment device, comprising: a soapy water container; and anarrangement for determining an imbalance of the soapy water container,the arrangement including: a lever device coupled to the soapy watercontainer; and a sensor coupled to the lever device, wherein the sensormeasures a temperature profile of a heating device built into thesensor, wherein the temperature profile of the heating device is alteredby acceleration resulting from the imbalance of the soapy watercontainer such that the imbalance of the soapy water container isdeterminable by the sensor.
 2. The linen treatment device according toclaim 1, comprising: a measuring device that determines a mass from avalue measured by the sensor.
 3. The linen treatment device according toclaim 2, comprising: a display device coupled to the measuring devicethat displays the mass of linen added to the device.
 4. The linentreatment device according to claim 3, wherein the display device emitsa warning signal when the mass measured exceeds a predetermined overloadvalue.
 5. The linen treatment device according to claim 1, wherein theimbalance is an imbalance along a rotational axis of the soapy watercontainer.
 6. The linen treatment device according to claim 1, whereinthe imbalance is an imbalance with respect to a rotational axis of thesoapy water container.
 7. The linen treatment device according to claim1, wherein the sensor determines one of a direction and a magnitude ofthe imbalance of the soapy water container.
 8. The linen treatmentdevice according to claim 1, wherein the lever device converts theimbalance of the soapy water container to translational movement at thesensor.
 9. The linen treatment device according to claim 1, wherein thesensor is on the lever device.